Course description:
Welcome to the ever-changing field of international relations. Already in your
lifetime, the world has changed dramatically. The Soviet
Union was replaced by fifteen new states; the ideological and
military divide that once dominated analysis of international relations
dissipated. Democracy and capitalism spread to dozens of new states. The
communications revolution eroded states’ ability to control the flow of
information and ideas. There is greater economic differentiation within the
developing states. New issues such as terrorism, the spread of AIDS, the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and global warming have risen to
the top of the global agenda. Keeping pace with this changing world requires
new tools and new theoretical approaches.

This course has three primary objectives. First, as an introductory course
it strives to provide students with a basic understanding of the theories and
models analyzing and explaining international relations. Because the field of
international relations remains divided, students will be introduced to a
number of competing theories including realism, liberal idealism, behavioralism, neoliberalism and
constructivism. Students will also learn about a number of associated models
for analyzing international relations. Each of these models or approaches
emphasizes a different determinant of international relations (e.g.,
perception, rationality or group behavior). Finally, students will learn the
basic terms and concepts used in the study of international relations.

The second objective of the course is to use the theories and models learned
in the first part of the semester to analyze some of the most serious
international problems now facing the world.With each of these topics students will be asked to read a short case
that presents a specific international decision that was made to deal with the
issue. Students will be required to remake these decisions in class as part of
a small group case discussion or a class simulation. Other issues will be
discussed as they arise in the news and are posted on blackboard.

The third course objective is to help students develop their ability to
think and argue logically both orally and in writing. In addition to the
tremendous significance of the issues discussed in class, the greatest benefit
the course may provide to individual students is to give them numerous
opportunities to logically consider international issues and to present their
opinions. Toward this end the course employs a number of highly participatory
teaching methods including: discussions of CSM stories, issues from lectures
and case studies.

This course is an introductory course and presumes no background knowledge
in the study of international relations or political science in general.
However, the course does require students to read the course materials when
assigned and to participate regularly in various class exercises and
discussions.

Readings:

1. The main text for the course is:
Charles W. Kegley, Jr., World Politics: Trends and
Transformation, 12th edn.,New York: Wadsworth--Cengage, 2008. Copies of the text are available for
purchase at the University and Village Common bookstores. Students are
strongly encouraged to purchase the main text (but may share copies). Readings from the text
are assigned in the Class Schedule (see below).(If you wish to use an older edition, you may acquire a copy of an older
syllabus from the professor to aid you).

2. Students are required to read all cases "prior to" the day that
the case is scheduled to be discussed. The majority of the cases are available
at the bookstores. While copyright laws prohibit the combining of these cases
into a course package, students may make copies of these cases for their
individual use. (One copy of every case will be available from the
library’s reserves. Some of the cases may also be available on the
course’s documents section in blackboard.The first case will be distributed in class.Questions to guide your case reading will be
posted in the Newsgroup (see below). We likely will not have time to discuss
all cases in class.Unless otherwise
indicated on the course outline, you are required only to read Part A of each
case, although Part B is often included in purchased course packages.If you wish to read Part B, your encouraged
to do so after the case discussion, but you will not be tested on the material
covered in Part B.

3. Each week students will be required to read the news storied posted by
Professor Kempton.These stories will be
posted in the blackboard documents space for POLS 285-3.

Writing Assignments:
Each student is required to keep a course journal. To maintain the
journal you must write an average of two entries each week. Each entry
should include a very brief summary of the major thesis or argument of an
article or editorial related to international affairs posted in blackboard
readings. The majority of the entry should consist of your assessment of
the argument or thesis of the article.Do you agree with the writer’s argument?Are the actors in the article making
effective or foreign policy decisions, and why?Each entry should be of approximately one-half page in length, double spaced.
Please print out, or cut out, a copy of each article you comment on so that copies
may be submitted with your journal.Journals must be submitted twice during the semester. Journals
will first be submitted on September 22 and should include 7 entries.
The second submission date is November 19 and should include 14 new entries.
A total of 21 entries should be submitted.Journals are best submitted in an inexpensive
two pocket folder. Please be sure to indicate the title, author, date and
source for each article with each entry.

Each student will also submit a short case study. Each student should
take an issue previously addressed in his/her journal and mirror the format of
the cases used in class. The topic must deal with an issue in
international relations, which was unresolved at the beginning of the semester.The essay should identify a specific decision
maker, the dilemma he/she faces, a clear statement of the objectives of the
decision maker, and some discussion of at least two alternatives the decision
maker might reasonably adopt. In the closing paragraph the student should
also indicate which alternative the student would recommend and why. The
essay does not need to summarize the dilemma in great detail. Instead,
you can cite news articles, and other sources for background material.The essay should be approximately 5 pages in
length, double spaced (using font 11 or 12) and should use a standard citation
method. Citations must appear either at the bottom of the page, in the
text, or at the end of the paper. A bibliography is required. Although
primary consideration in evaluating the journals will be placed on content and
the logic of the arguments, presentation (including spelling, grammar, and
correct word use) will also be considered. Cases taken from a perspective other
than an American one are especially encouraged.The case study must be submitted by December 1, or it will be deemed
late, and downgraded according to the general rule below.

Journals and case studies are due at the beginning of class on the assigned day. (Skipping class to
finish will not help).Late writing
assignments will be downgraded 1/3 letter grade for each day that they are
late. (A journal submitted after class will be considered one day late).
Thus, an "A" brief becomes and "A-" after one day and a
"B+" after two days. Exceptions to this rule will not be granted
under normal circumstances. Therefore, students with sick relatives,
paper-eating canines, low-life typists, or virus-prone computers--as well as
those students who are routinely taken hostage aboard alien spaceships--are strongly
encouraged to compensate for any potential mishaps by preparing their journals
and case studies in advance of the listed submission deadlines.To avoid these concerns you may complete your
assignments early.All writing
assignments must be completed to pass the class.While an e-mail version may be submitted to
meet the due date, a printed version must be provided for grading purposes.

Undergraduate Writing Awards: The
Department of Political Science will recognize, on an annual basis, outstanding
undergraduate papers written in conjunction with 300-400 level political
science courses or directed studies. Authors do not have to be political
science majors or have a particular class standing. Winners are expected to
attend the Department's spring graduation ceremony where they will receive a
certificate and $50. Papers, which can be submitted by students or faculty,
must be supplied in triplicate to a department secretary by late February (see
Mrs. Pam Kombrink, Undergraduate
Studies Secretary, Zulauf Hall 415, (815) 753-1015, pkombrink@niu.edu, for specific dates). All
copies should have two cover pages--one with the student's name and one without
the student's name. Only papers written in the previous calendar year can be
considered for the award. However, papers completed in the current spring
semester are eligible for the following year's competition even if the student
has graduated.

Participation:
Participation is an important part of this course, and as such is required of
all students. The participation grade will comprise 10% of the final grade and
is designed to assess both the quantity and quality of each student's
participation in this collective learning enterprise. Participation grades will
include attendance, participation in news discussions, participation in cases,
and participation in class. Students who miss any more than 4 classes in total, or more than two cases—for whatever
reason—will have a deduction taken from their participation grade. Those
students who post “at least” six substantive messages to the class
discussion group, which can be accessed in blackboard at http://webcourses.niu.edu/, are eligible
for a “B” or higher participation grade.Only postings made prior to the final class
will be counted.

Extra Credit:
No individual extra credit assignments will be created or accepted.Qualifying activities will be announced on
the class blackboard announcement page or in class.Included in these will be movie nights,
political science related talks, and POLS related professional activities.To receive the extra points a student must
attend the qualified activity.For movie
nights, students may instead, view the movie individually, but must then submit
a half page report relating what he or she learned within one week of the
scheduled movie night.Extra Credit
points will be added to the Quiz grade.If a 100% is reached on the quiz grade, additional points will be
accrued toward the participation grade.

Examinations: There will be
two examinations, a mid-term and a final. Each examination will be worth 20% of
the semester grade. The mid-term examination will be held on October 15, and
will include all course materials and readings covered to that date. The final
examination will be held on Tuesday, December 10, 10-11:50 a.m. in Du 246. Those who have a conflict, or simply prefer to take
the examination on another date, may take the examination on December 8, 3-4:50
p.m. in CL110. The alternate examination must be requested in advance in
writing prior to the last class day. Each examination will contain:

Quiz Grade:During the semester at least four, but likely
more, quizzes will be administered.Quizzes will not be announced ahead of time.Quizzes will cover material in the assigned
readings or material presented in the previous class sessions.Extra credit points will be applied first to
the quiz grade.If you miss a quiz, or
arrive after the instructor has begun collecting completed quizzes, you will be
ineligible to take the quiz.

Grading:* The final grade will be:

1.20% mid-term examination

2.20% final examination

3.10% Quiz Grade

4.10% first journal submission

5.20% second journal submission

6.10% essay

7.10% participation.

*The professor will
personally grade all essays and journal submissions.All appeals of these grades should go
directly to the professor.Participation
in the student news group, attendance at events, and quizzes will be graded by
the graduate assistants, and appeals of these should go initially to him.

Students with Disabilities: NIU abides by Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding provision of reasonable
accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Moreover, your
academic success is of importance to me. If you have a disability that may have
a negative impact on your performance in this course and you may require some
type of instructional and/or examination accommodation, please contact me early
in the semester so that I can provide or facilitate in providing accommodations
you may need.If you have not already
done so, you will need to register with the Center for Access-Ability Resources
(CAAR), the designated office on campus to provide services and administer
exams with accommodations for students with disabilities. CAAR is located on
the 4th floor of the University Health Services building (753-1303). I look
forward to talking with you to learn how I may be helpful in enhancing your
academic success in this course.

Plagiarism Statement: According to the
NIU Undergraduate Catalog "Students are guilty of plagiarism, intentional
or not, if they copy material from books, magazines, or other sources without
identifying and acknowledging them. Students guilty of,
or assisting others in, either cheating or plagiarism on an assignment, quiz,
or examination may receive a grade of F for the course involved and may be
suspended or dismissed from the university." In short, all ideas that are
not your own or well known must be footnoted. A general rule is that if the
information cannot be found in three or more commonly available sources it
should be footnoted. All direct quotes must be placed in quotation marks. These
guidelines will be enforced. If you are unsure as to what should be footnoted
either play it safe and footnote, or ask for assistance. You may get more
information at: http://polisci.niu.edu/polisci/audience/plagiarism.shtml.

Classroom Decorum:Students are encouraged to arrive at
class on time.Students who arrive after
their names are called for attendance must see the professor after that
particular class to be marked present.Students are to remain for the entire session unless excused by the
professor beforehand or confronted with a serious personal emergency.For instance, it is not acceptable to
students to walk in and out of class to answer cell phones, take casual
bathroom and smoking breaks, or attend to other personal matters.Cell phones, pagers, or any electronic
devices that make noise must be turned off during class unless the
instructor has been notified beforehand of a special circumstance (e.g., sick
family member, pregnant wife, special childcare situation, etc.).No one should talk while someone else is
talking; this includes comments meant for a classmate rather than the entire
group.Overall, classroom dialogue and
behavior should always be courteous, respectful of others, and consistent with
the expectations set forth by the university.

Web Site: Undergraduates are strongly
encouraged to consult the Department of Political Science web site on a regular
basis. This up-to-date, central source of information will assist students in
contacting faculty and staff, reviewing course requirements and syllabi,
exploring graduate study, researching career options, tracking department
event, and accessing important details related to undergraduate programs and
activities. To reach the site, go to http://www.polisci.niu.edu/index.html.